I'm Not a Kid
by Vulpixels
Summary: Clementine is starving, alone and scared. Inside an empty gas station in the middle of nowhere, Clem and Ellie meet for the first time and are forced to cooperate to survive the oncoming herd of walkers. Language (because Ellie can't last 15 minutes without swearing) and maybe a little bit of violence (because Ellie really loves her axe.)
1. Chapter 1- An Introduction to Clickers

**A/N: Hey. I know it's been a while since I updated my E&P, but I needed a break from writing it because it felt like everything I was writing was crappy. So I wrote this instead, because I love Both the Walking Dead and The Last of Us. It's a crossover with Ellie and Clem. I hope that you don't mind the fact that it is not E&P or Scorose. They are coming soon. Hopefully. P.S. This is a oneshot, unless you guys want more. I just wanted to try writing something different for a change. Enjoy!**

"Who are you?" Clementine growled, holding her gun in her trembling hands. The store she was in was empty, no food, no water, no medicine, but at least there were no walkers. The girl at gunpoint looked a little nervous though, as if she was expecting one to pop out at any time.  
>"I... I'm Ellie." She said, quietly. "Look, kid-"<br>"I am _not_ a kid." Clem interrupted.  
>"I don't want to hurt you. I promise." She held her hands out in a gesture of surrender, letting her axe drop to the floor with a thud. "But there is a herd outside. I need a place to hide. So please, just let me stay here until they leave, and then I'll go." As if on cue, the door rattled as the walkers banged against it. Ellie took an involuntary step forwards, away from the door as the hinges groaned in protest. Clem lifted the gun higher, aiming it at Ellie's head. "Please." Said Ellie, "Don't make me go out there."<br>"Fine." Clem responded coldly, "But you leave the axe there."  
>"But it's my axe! Come on kid, I'm gonna be defenceless if a fucking clicker comes in here-"<br>"Clicker?" Said Clem cautiously.  
>"Yes, now let me have my goddamn axe." Ellie said, frowning.<br>"Fine, have your axe." Clem replied.  
>"Thank you!"<br>"I wasn't finished. Take your axe, unlock the door and go out there. Hack your way through the herd." Said Clem with a glare that could have turned milk sour. if there was any milk left that wasn't sour already. Ellie frowned, but she walked away from her axe and started to push a shelf against the door. The shelf squeaked against the linoleum floor of the gas station, but that didn't drown out the sudden cries coming from a box in the corner. Ellie stopped pushing.  
>"What was that?" Said Ellie, looking around, suddenly alert. Clem didn't answer. Instead, she rushed towards the box and pulled out a blue bundle. Ellie nearly fainted when she caught sight of the tiny hands reaching towards Clem's face.<br>"Holy shit. You have a baby?"  
>"No. He's a robot."<br>"Holy shit." she repeated, abandoning the shelf and walking towards the squirming blue blanket. 'If you don't mind me asking, why do you have a baby? No offence kid, but you're... a kid."  
>"He's not mine. His name is A.J. And for the last time, I'm not a kid." Ellie was jolted back to reality as the door rattled loudly. The screws were coming loose.<br>"You gotta help me." Ellie said, rushing towards the shelf and starting to push. Clem put A.J back in his 'crib' (a box) and rushed to help Ellie. The door squeaked as the moans of the walkers from outside grew louder.  
>"Shit. Shit shit shit. Push harder!" Ellie shouted as they struggled to move the shelf. The sound of glass shattering made A.J cry, but they carried on pushing the shelf as he wailed. They grunted as they gave the shelf one last shove until the door was safe. Clem rushed over to A.J, but Ellie rushed to her axe.<br>"I said-"  
>'Shut up." said Ellie, her voice low. A.J sniffled in Clem's arms as she hurried to shush him, sensing the danger. Ellie crept towards the stock room door, quiet clicks filling the air. She gently pulled open the door, and standing directly in front of her was the biggest clicker she had ever seen. The fungus filled its entire face, the only thing left working was its mouth, where rotting teeth glistened with blood. Upon seeing it, Clem let out a cry. A.J started to scream, scared by Clem's reaction, and it's head snapped around. It started towards Clem, who was holding A.J tightly to her chest with one hand, and holding a gun with the other. She fired at its head. <em>Click.<em> The sound echoed, but it was not the clicker. It was Clem's empty gun. It drew nearer to them as Clem trembled. It was almost close enough to bite, when a red blur flew past her head and landed straight in its skull. it dropped to the floor with a thud at Clem's feet, and Ellie rushed forwards.  
>"I told you, the axe would be necessary." Said Ellie with a slight smile as she yanked it out of the clicker's head. Clementine, still shaking, smiled back.<br>"That was a clicker?" said Clementine.  
>"Yeah. Wait until you see a bloater. You'd better not scream next time." Clem grew pale.<br>"A... A bloater?' She said quietly  
>"Yup. Ugly as hell, but slow. Pretty fat. I wouldn't worry. I've survived my fair share of Bloater attacks. I'm not bitten yet." Said Ellie, her voice wavering as she spoke the last sentence. Clem, however, didn't notice. She was too busy with A.J. Ellie pulled her sleeve down her arm as she flopped onto an old sofa in the staff room.<br>"Hey kid, wanna hear a joke?"

Night was falling by the time the walkers had lost interest, and by that time, Clem and Ellie were pretty well acquainted. As the banging died down, Clem stood up and pulled her backpack onto her shoulder.  
>"I'd better get going." Said Clementine, lifting a sleeping A.J from his little box. He opened his eyes a little as he looked up at Clem.<br>"Hey little guy," She said softly, brushing his short baby hair away from his face. He smiled a little toothless grin at her sleepily, and then his eyelids drooped again. In seconds, he was asleep in her arms. Clem's face lit up as she turned to Ellie.  
>"That's the first time he's ever smiled at me." She said.<br>"Glad I got to see it, Kid." Ellie replied, smiling a little too.  
>"Well, see you, I guess."<br>"See ya later, Alligator." Ellie said. Clementine was silent as she turned away. "Come on, kid. You gotta finish it! Don't leave me hanging."  
>"In a while, crocodile." Clementine said unenthusiastically, but smiling nonetheless. She turned to leave, and the door banged shut behind her. Ellie sat in silence in the once again empty store. The flickering candlelight cast shadows across the room, and Ellie sighed. Every time she found something to survive for, to keep fighting for, she lost it. Although she wouldn't admit it, she missed company. She missed Joel. She missed Riley. And now she missed the kid, the one who had held her at gunpoint, mocked her and her precious axe and cut her metaphorically with snarky comments. The one who shared her food and water and stories and warmth with her. She sure as hell wasn't going to let this kid leave her. She stood up, quickly gathering her things, and then slung her backpack over her shoulders. The door banged in the wind as she rushed down the cracked pavement after a little black dot in the distance. She wasn't going to lose this time.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2- Treehouse

Clementine kicked a dandelion growing through the cracks in road. She was looking at the floor, considering Ellie's offer, even though she already knew the answer. She liked this crazy, badass girl more than she would openly admit. Still, Clem was nothing if not dramatic, so she was contemplating anyway, just for the look on Ellie's face. When she glanced up, Ellie looked a little nervous, chewing on her nails. She put on a sad face.  
>"Ellie..." she said quietly.<br>"No, no it's okay. I'll go." Ellie turned and took a step, but Clementine grabbed her arm before she could go any further.  
>"Wait! I'm willing to compromise." She said. Ellie turned back around, hearing the smile in her voice.<br>"Okay... I'm willing to listen." replied Ellie with a small smile in return.  
>"You can come with us-"<br>"Yay!" Ellie celebrated.  
>"On one condition." Ellie's face fell.<br>"What? You gonna make me give you my badass axe?"  
>"Nope. My condition is that you stop the swearing." Ellie laughed.<br>"Seriously?"  
>"We have an impressionable infant!"<br>"Come on kid, you're an impressionable infant and I've never heard you swear."  
>"I'm fifteen." said Clem, looking a little annoyed.<br>"Shit! For real? You look like, twelve or something! You really weren't kidding, huh? You're not a kid." Clementine frowned slightly, but continued to speak anyway.  
>"So, are you in?" Clementine said, looking hopeful.<br>"Well, I don't know man, tough decision. Can I negotiate? Maybe have a swear limit instead of a swear ban? A jar to-"  
>"Nope. No swears."<br>"Fine. I'm in."

It was almost completely dark by the time they found a safe place to rest. It was an old treehouse, rotting wood, leaky roof, but high enough that they would at least be safe from walkers and clickers and whatever else was out there. There was no ladder, so Ellie boosted Clem up, then handed her A.J, then pulled herself up the tree. It was stable, and safe at least, but not the best place to rest.  
>"I'll take first watch." Said Clem.<br>"Dude, we don't need a watch. Nothing's getting up here."  
>"Yeah, no walkers or clickers. But you forgot about humans." Ellie nodded, and proceeded to make herself comfy on the wooden floor. "Hey Ellie?" Ellie turned her head. "Will you look after A.J? I need two hands for this rifle. And, I trust you."<br>"I've never held a baby before. I don't know how." Ellie said. She was nervous again, biting her nails.  
>"I'll show you. It's easy. Anyway, I think he likes you." She passed a sleeping A.J to Ellie. Her hands were shaking a little, but she calmed down a bit when A.J grasped her pinky with one hand. She managed to hold him for a while, but as he grew tired it was clear that he wanted Clem. Or possibly a comfier place to sleep.<br>"Hey kid?"  
>"Huh?" She said, head snapping up as she jolted awake.<br>"Oh crap, I was supposed to be on lookout." She said sheepishly. "Sorry."  
>"Where should I put him down?" Clem rummaged in her backpack before pulling out a folded piece of thick cardboard and another blanket. She unfolded the cardboard and put the blanket on top.<br>"Right here." Ellie gently placed him onto his makeshift bed, careful not to wake him, and then turned to Clementine.  
>"You know, you're doing a pretty good job all by yourself. For a kid." She said with a sly grin.<br>"Why do you keep calling me that?" Clementine asked, scowling.  
>"Because I don't know what to call you other than kid. I don't know your name."<br>"Clementine." she said quietly. "It's a dumb name, I know. Clem is better."  
>"Well shit, I don't think your parents realised you would be such a badass when you grew up. Clementine really doesn't suit you."<br>"Swear."  
>"Oh fuck- shit. I swore again. Goddamn freaking compromises Clem, I can't do this shit. Fuck. I can't stop." Clem laughed.<br>"You gotta find alternatives. Try sugar instead of... You know. Poop."  
>"Just say it, Clem! It's liberating!" Clem shook her head vigorously.<br>"Nope." Ellie looked at clementine with her best puppy dog eyes. When this didn't work, she tried a different tactic.  
>"If you don't say it, I will tickle you so hard, you will pee your pants and then you'll have to walk around with pee stains until you find another pair on a rotting corpse. Your choice." Clem frowned a little, shut her eyes and squeaked out her first swear.<br>"Shit." she said quietly. Ellie clapped in celebration.  
>"You did it squirt! Yay!" Clementine laughed a little, but Ellie was right, once you got past the initial feeling of wrongness, it felt, freeing. Regardless of this, Clem was <em>not<em> going to do it again. "Get some rest. I saw you dozing before. I'll watch A.J. I think I'm getting the hang of this baby stuff. Well at least I _hope_ I'm getting the hang of it." Clem smiled drowsily before curling up on the slightly damp wooden planks. She was asleep within minutes, but Ellie took off her jacket and draped it over her even though Clem wasn't that cold. Yet. As the night wore on, It grew colder and Ellie was shivering when the first rays of sunlight broke through the clouds, but then again, so was Clem, even though she had Ellie's coat as a blanket. Ellie felt the familiar denim of her jacket on her shoulders again, and when she turned around, Clem was standing behind her.  
>"You should've woken me! I was supposed to keep watch after you."<br>"I'm fine. Not even tired." replied Ellie, stifling a yawn. "Should we get going then?"  
>"Yeah, I guess. But where to?"<br>"I say we hunt for some supplies, baby formula, food, medicine, and then we find a place to stay, for good. A base of sorts. And we make it safe, and cosy, too. I'm not staying in some kind of shit-hole."  
>"Swear." Said Clem, matter-of-factly.<br>"You are such a fucking dork, Clementine. Come on, lets get going." This time, Clem didn't even bother to point it out. She just shook her head and smiled a little. Guess that deal was already out of the window.

**A/N: Okay. This isn't going to be a oneshot. I had WAY too much fun writing this. I know there's a lot of dialogue, but I needed for them to talk. They have to get to know each other if they're a group now, right? Anyway, I hope you don't mind the double posting, I'm feeling very much like writing this right now. Hope you enjoyed, and if you have any suggestions for where their bas could be, leave them in a review, because I'm having trouble coming up with a place that would be almost completely safe. Even if you don't have any ideas of where they could stay, leave a review. It makes me smile.**

**Until next time!  
>-Vulpixels<strong>


	3. Chapter 3- Still Not Bitten

**A/N: trying out a new perspective for this chapter. Let me know if you like it. It's from Ellie's point of view. Also, I wrote this on my phone so it's got paragraph breaks instead of single line breaks for speech and I am very sorry about that and I want you to know it pisses me off too. Anyway, enjoy**!

"Empty." I said, closing the drawer quietly. Every single drawer, cupboard, shelf, jar, can and packet was empty so far. "Damn it!" I shouted loudly, slamming my fist on the cabinet. Clem jumped, and A.J started to cry at my outburst. We had been searching for supplies for around a week now, and our luck was only getting worse. We hadn't found anything, we were starving, tired and running dangerously low on food. As I reached up to check the highest shelf, my sleeve fell down my arm. I hurried to pull it back into place before Clementine could notice the bite marks. I still hasn't told Clem about my bite, and it was getting harder and harder to bring it up in conversation. The longer I left it, the worse it would be when I finally told her. As for a base, we were sticking with the treehouse until we found something better. At least it was guaranteed to be walker-free.

"Come on Clem. It's getting dark. We should go." I grabbed her hand and towed her out of the house that looked perilously close to collapsing, A.J wailing the whole time. If he carried on crying, he would attract attention to us. As much as I loved him, I hoped he would soon learn the appropriate time to shut up. Clem babbled about some comic she had found in the last house as I inwardly protested about the struggles of everyday life, but I was jolted out of my thoughts when a metallic glint caught my eye from a behind a nearby bush. I bent down to pick it up. It was a can. Unopened, but the label was missing. I let out a quiet whoop as I turned to show Clem my findings. She grinned back at me. We hurried back to our temporary base of operations, our mouths watering in anticipation of whatever was inside the can of wonders. Heck, I'd eat it even if it was peas. Even though I used to think that peas were fucking disgusting. That was when I had the privilege to actually dislike food. Fortunately, my stomach and I were in agreement, and peas didn't sound so bad anymore.

Night was falling fast, and by the time we had gotten settled in the treehouse, it was almost completely dark, and the temperature had dropped dramatically. Summer was definitely over. With A.J fed and sleeping, we decided to crack open the can. It made a satisfying pop as I pulled the lid back.

"Clem, we hit the jackpot." I said, turning the can to face her. Tinned peaches, the closest thing we could get to candy. Her face lit up as she saw the pinkish-orange coloured fruit peeking out from behind the silver lid. "Go on, you first." I said, handing her the can. She took a peach between two fingers and bit into it, and I can bet that nothing had ever tasted so good in her life. I reached into the can and pulled out a peach too, and let me tell you, it was the best goddamn peach in existence. The can was soon empty, and unsurprisingly, so were our stomachs, but there was no more food. We split the juice, and laid out the first large blanket we had found on the floor. I had stuffed it into my backpack when I found it in a house not far from here. It was from a double bed, so it was big enough for the both of us. I image at one point it was pink, but there was a mixture of smudges and stains on it that turned it from the colour of a sky at dawn to the colour of the sky on a rainy day. Neither Clem or I minded too much about them, but it didn't do much to keep out the rain. I wish the roof didn't have so many holes. Once we were comfortably sitting on the first blanket, I pulled the second, slightly thicker quilt over us. It kept us warm, but it was a pain to drag around. We usually left it here, unless it was raining. Then we would play rock-paper-scissors over who would have to stuff it in their pack for the day. Clem and I had fallen into a routine, and I enjoyed her company. Most of the time. We hadn't talked about our pasts much yet. I can still hardly bear thinking about what had happened to Riley, let alone sharing it. Survivors guilt, I suppose, but sometimes I cant help but wish that it was me who died. I still have her tag, hidden in the pocket of my jeans. I reached into my pocket to feel the familiar metal, to run my fingers over her name. It was all I had left of her. I held on tight to the memories, afraid that one day, I would wake up and forget what her laugh sounded like. I was all she had. The only person here to remember her. I could almost hear her in my head as she spoke the last coherent words she ever said to me.

"Keep fighting, Ellie. I need you to keep going for me." I remember lifting her head as it lolled, and forcing her to look me in the eye. I remember her slow blinks, her twitching muscles and the taste of her lips as I kissed her for last time. "Remember me, Ellie." She said. After that, it went from mumbling to screaming, and I knew it was over. I left the next morning. The memories flooded my thoughts and I reached back into my pocket to hold her tag. I fell asleep clutching the tag to my chest.

I awoke in the dark to an ominous click. I froze. Slowly I turned to see clementine standing over me, pointing her gun at my temple. How did I manage to end up at gunpoint so often? I then noticed my sleeve, rolled up and exposing my scar.

"Why didn't you tell me you were bit." Her voice was dangerously low.

"It's not what you think, Clem-"

"Bullshit!" She shouted. A.J let out a little whimper, but didn't cry. "You lied to me. You told me you weren't infected. You could have killed me. You could have killed A.J. I trusted you. And you put us in danger. Give me one reason why I shouldn't shoot you, right here, right now." Her voice began to waver as she spoke the last few words, and in the dim light of the moon I could see tears glistening on her cheeks.

"Let me explain, Clem. I am in a huge fucking mess, and I know I should have told you, but I didn't. That's because I'm immune." Clem gasped, and surprise flickered in her Amber eyes, but it was soon replaced with a feeling much worse. Hurt.

"Stop lying to me." She said, now openly crying. "Everyone lied to me. Even Lee. The only person that had ever been honest with me was you, and I can't lose you. You can't lie to me too." Her hands were trembling as she held the gun to my head. "Don't make me do this, Ellie. I need you."

"Clementine, listen to me. I am not lying, and I will I never fucking lie to you again. Please, listen to me. I am gonna tell you something that is hard for me to even think about. And you have to believe me, because I am trusting you with this. But please, put the gun down, and let me explain." I took a deep breath, choking back the tears I knew were bound to come, and I started at the beginning, when everything was alright.

"When I lived in the city, I had a friend. Her name- her name was Riley. She was my only friend, the only kid my age. I was fourteen, and I was terrified. One day, she went out on patrol. She didn't come back that night. Or the next. For a month, I thought she was dead. Until one evening, she snuck into my bunk. She said that she was a firefly, and that she would get killed if she was caught here. So we snuck out of the compound and to this old mall."

We did loads of stuff together that night. If it hadn't ended the way it did, I would've said it was the best night of my life. Instead, it became the worst. We played games, danced, she even snuck into the main office to go steal my water guns back. We found this clothing store, and we'd managed to get the electricity back on. She fiddled with the sound system a bit, and then she played the tape from my Walkman. We started dancing." I couldn't stop the tears now. They were dripping off my chin and landing in my lap as I recalled the memory. "Anyway, we were... Dancing. She gave me her tag, telling me she was going to leave the fireflies to stay with me. We even- never mind. It was too late when we heard the clickers. We both got bitten. I remember her saying 'let's be all poetic and lose our minds together." But the thing is, she did. I didn't. I've had this bite for a year, and I'm... Alive. Riley's not." By the time I had finished my story, I had lost all hope of holding the tears back. Clem's gun was lowered, and she sat next to me quietly.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. But no amount of apologies could bring Riley back.


	4. Chapter 4- Love You More Than Macaroni

"Do you hear that?" Clementine asked me, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen as we walked through the streets of an empty town. I strained to hear the noise she was describing, but I could only hear the leaves crunching under our feet as we walked. "I think we might be close to the sea." She said quietly.  
>"We could look for a boat," I reply, but Clem quickly dismissed the idea. I saw the hurt pass across her face for a second, before she smoothed out the crease between her eyebrows and turned to face me again.<br>"That won't work."  
>"Why? How do you know? We-"<br>"It won't work, Ellie." She repeated, her voice stronger this time. "Trust me. I would know." she added quietly. I decided to drop the subject- the previous night's incident had already caused enough friction between the two of us. A.J wriggled in my arms. I knew he was about to cry from the way his little features were scrunched up. I rocked him a bit, and he calmed down, but I knew I couldn't keep him quiet for long.  
>"Clem, we have to find some supplies. Soon." We had walked so far away from the treehouse that we might even have been out of the town and into a new one, but I wasn't sure. Things like geography didn't matter much these days. It had been twenty minutes since we'd seen a house, and it was empty. Everything was always empty, picked clean. <em>Death by insufficient supplies. What a way to go. <em>I thought to myself, my mood quickly turning sour. I was still under a cloud when I spotted a cottage in the distance. Even though I knew it would be empty too, I still felt that spark of hope, the thought that maybe, just maybe we could have found something. I tried to smother it, douse the flames because I knew it would only lead to disappointment, but my attempts to stop it only fuelled the fire. I gave up and sprinted towards the cottage, A.J still in my arms. He started to cry at my sudden movements. Clem was a few metres behind me, and A.J was still fussing when she finally caught up. I handed him to her- I could feel something... wrong about the cottage. I had read a book about aliens once, and inside, the author always mentioned a little voice in your head, the oldest part of you, awakened from a time when humans needed to survive. That was the voice I could hear screaming in the back of my mind as I crept towards the house. As if it were against every fibre of my being to go near that building. Still, I edged forwards. When I reached the rotting door, the knocker rusted and askew, I turned to Clem. She was staring at me, fear filling her eyes as she shook her head. I pushed the door open.

The first thing I noticed was the smell. Surprisingly, I noticed the bodies second. They were dead, really dead. No coming back. In one corner, a person was sprawled across the floor. A brown stain covered the wooden floor around their head, like rust. I knew better. It was blood. A gun lay in their hand, fingers limp, but still clutching the trigger. A hole was blown through their skull. Suicide. I felt an unreasonable anger fill me as I thought of this person, just giving up, taking their own life, taking the easy way out, leaving the rest of humanity to crash and burn. I turned away, feeling sick at the sight, and saw another two bodies. Two _small_ bodies. They were covered with a sheet, stained with blood, but the unmistakeable shoes of a child peeped out from the bottom. I had seen my fair share of dead bodies, more than anyone my age should have seen in a lifetime, but each time it was no less terrible. I felt a wave of several emotions pass over me as I grieved for the family that I didn't, nor would I ever know. I pushed down the sadness as I walked past the bodies and began to search for supplies. I found some letters, matches, a couple of cans and a few batteries in the kitchen. I pulled my gun out as I ventured upstairs, tiptoeing up the stairs that creaked in protest under my weight. It was clear, of both other bodies and possible walkers. I began to search the upstairs. A layer of dust covered everything, the rooms left untouched for a while. That was good. That meant that there were still supplies here. I searched the biggest room first. I grabbed the pillows from the unmade bed, they were small and light. I strapped them to my backpack. I found a pen, which I shoved in my pocket. Clem would like it. There were numerous phone bills and letters, but when I found a card, drawn by a child, I had to fight the urge to cry.

_Mommy,_

_I love you more than I love macaroni cheese. But in case you forget, I stuck some macaroni cheese on here for you._

_Love from Anthony_

_'BEST MOMMY IN THE WORLD!' _was scribbled on the bottom with green felt tip, along with an explanation_.  
>P.S That was Teddy. He always messes up my things.<em>

I will admit, I cried a little. These kids had nobody left to cry for them. So I let myself cry. Just once. I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand and moved onto the next room. The bathroom was full of mould, but there was plenty of medicine in the cupboards. I took it all, including some tylenol for kids. It would be good to have for A.J, just in case. I also grabbed two unopened toothbrushes. It was a stroke of luck that they weren't taken already, but it was also a good sign. It meant that nobody had been here. It meant that there were no people here, no walkers, no danger. Those two toothbrushes were like a beacon of hope. I put them in my pack, feeling slightly more optimistic as I walked towards the third and final room upstairs. I swung the door open, and I was greeted by a cloud of dust in the face. I welcomed it, dust was becoming my new favourite thing. It meant that there were supplies. once the initial dust cleared, I almost cried with happiness. It was a nursery. And sitting in front of me were two, gloriously large packs of baby formula. I walked past them, to search the rest of the nursery before carrying them out last. There were so many things for A.J, things that would change everything. There was a baby car seat, cushioned and comfortable looking, even though it was covered in thick layers of dust. There were toys too. They weren't exactly necessary to our survival, but I couldn't resist picking up a small plushy giraffe and putting it in my coat pocket. I took some chalk too. I grabbed everything I could fit. Blankets, clothes, diapers, everything. When I left the cottage, I was beaming, no longer affected by the ominous mood. I was too happy. Clementine started crying when she saw what I'd found. We walked and walked, free of worries, even if it was only temporary.

Our happiness lasted until it was almost dark. By then, we were tired, cold and in desperate need of a place to spend the night. I could hear the sea, crashing onto the rocks below us as we walked in silence again. The cold wind from the sea blew over us, pulling my ponytail in different directions.  
>"It's s-so fucking <em>cold!" <em>I shivered, pulling my coat closer to me.  
>"S-swear." Clem muttered back as she shivered too. We had been walking for hours, it had been at least three since we had left the cottage. "We need to find somewhere to sleep." said Clem as we trudged through the mud on the cliff path we were walking. I looked up from the ground, and I nearly fell over.<br>"Clem." I said quietly. She didn't respond. "Clementine." I said, pulling her chin upwards to look in the direction I was looking. I watched her eyes grow wide. We were walking towards a lighthouse. Her eyes lit up, like there was a lighthouse of her own behind her irises. We ran. We raced up the hill, towards the lighthouse. Towards shelter. Warmth. Safety. When we reached the top, we were breathless, pink-cheeked and smiling. Even A.J was giggling a little. It was perfect. I checked it first, even though Clem protested because I did it last time. It was clear anyway. We dragged all of our supplies up the spiralling stairs, making multiple trips. When we had everything gathered at the very top, I took the opportunity to look around. The walls were painted a pale blue, and the paint was peeling. The large bulb in the centre of the room didn't work, but it wasn't shattered. The windows too were intact. The floor was concrete, and a little dusty, but in my opinion, dust is a blessing in disguise. Best of all, there were three crates of food at the top. The first was filled with cans, the second with bottled water and the third was filled with potato chips. I was so happy. It was like a reward for surviving, for staying alive. I guess it really does get worse before it gets better. A.J fell asleep within minutes, especially when he was full of food and comfortably ensconced in his new cradle. Clem and I stayed up late that night celebrating. We even shared a packet of chips, a luxury I never thought that I would experience again. We laid out all of the blankets we had collected, covering half of the floor. I was more comfortable than I had been in a long time. I gave her the chalk and pen that I had found for her, and she spent the next hour or so decorating the floor and walls with drawings. She was actually quite a good artist. My favourite one was the drawing of a little fluffy brown bear wearing a cap and a cute frog wearing my shirt. She wrote our names underneath, then she added a little squiggle.  
>"What the fuck is that?" I asked, snorting at the weird little lines. She blushed a little.<br>"It's my signature." She said quietly. I laughed again, and then grabbed a piece of chalk. I did a little scribble too.  
>"Here's mine." She chuckled a little.<br>"I forgot A.J!" She gasped loudly. She quickly grabbed the chalk from my hands and started to draw again. When she was finished, there was a tiny little rabbit between us.  
>"He's adorable!" I squealed. She blushed, looking at the ground. "You're a pretty good artist, kid. I'm glad I stuck around." I said, ruffling her hair, even though it was a sincere comment. She looked up at me, staring into my eyes. I thought she was going to reply with 'I'm not a Kid!' or 'Stop messing up my hair!'. She didn't.<br>"Me too."

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed! I love writing this. It doesn't feel like work, that's why the chapters are longer than in my other fics. If there are any typos, I'm sorry, but I think I got them all. if you could review, I'd be super happy and love you forever. So please?  
>Until next time!<strong>

**-Vulpixels ^_^**


	5. Chapter 5- No Escape

_I was running, running so fast that my lungs ached and my muscles burned with the exertion. Riley was behind me, running just as fast as I was. The bite on her hand was bruised and black. Her whole hand was black. The veins up her arm stood out from her skin and her muscles jerked as she stumbled towards me. I slowed, turning to face her. Her eyes were glazed over, her brown eyes now almost black, completely blank. I saw a flicker of recognition flash across her face before she lurched towards me. I scrambled for the gun in my pocket, my hands shaking and tears blurring my vision._  
><em>"Don't make me do this, Riley..." I said quietly, holding the gun up. "Please." She was completely still, staring at me with those blank eyes. She didn't move an inch when I stepped closer to her. It was like she was bound with an invisible rope. Her limbs were twitching, but she made no advance towards me. The gun rattled in my hands as my trembling fingers reached towards the trigger. She looked me in the eye.<em>  
><em>"Do it." She said, quietly. "Kill me." The emptiness in her eyes was gone, replaced with burning hatred. I looked away, squeezing my eyes shut as I grimaced and pulled the trigger. I heard her scream. She was screaming my name. Her shouts grew quieter as blood pooled around her, until it was just a whimper. <em>  
><em>"Ellie..." she whispered, blackened hand reaching for me but finding only air. She raised her head one last time to look me in the eye. <em>  
><em>"I'm sorry." I said back, tears running down my face. I shot her in the head.<em>

I awoke sweating in a tangle of blankets. Clementine was asleep on the other side of the room, snoring quietly. A.J was sleeping too. I was still haunted by the lingering memories from my dream. Guilt coursed through me as I thought of Riley. I should've stayed with her. Until the end. I should have killed her when she turned. Instead, I left her to roam the halls of an empty mall, alone, until some bastard came along and did it themselves. Tears left lines down my face, washing away the dirt and blood from my skin. I clutched her tag to my chest as I tried to fall back asleep. Eventually, I did, but it was after hours of painful silence, me and my thoughts alone, that I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

"Ellie?" Clementine shook me. I rolled over, shielding my eyes from the blinding sun that was filtering in through the grimy windows. Groaning, I got up. I couldn't afford to think about my dream, so I focused on Clementine. She was rocking A.J in her arms, and frowning down at me. "Are you okay?" She asked, searching my face with her brown eyes.  
>"I'm fine," I replied, "Rough night's sleep." She nodded, but didn't look convinced.<br>"Breakfast?" I grabbed a bottle of water, shaking my head. We needed to save our food, we were running low again, after being here for what felt like around a month. Besides, I wasn't hungry. Not after- I stopped my train of though before it could go further. Clementine must have noticed, because she frowned at me again. "Are you sure that you're okay?" She asked again, looking at me like I was a kicked puppy.  
>"I'm fucking <em>fine!"<em> I shouted. She looked hurt, but I didn't care. I was too angry at her even though I didn't know why.  
>"I was just asking, Ellie. I was worried about you. No need to be such a... such a bitch!" She stuttered. Although she looked surprised at her words, her expression quickly hardened.<br>"If you didn't treat me like I was a fucking baby, then I wouldn't have to be a bitch!" I shouted back. My temper was rising, I could feel the heat beneath my cheeks.  
>"What happened to 'I'm glad I stuck around?', because I sure as hell wish you didn't! I am not Riley, Ellie! And I never will be! You might as well just leave, before you start calling me by her name, too!" There was silence. The kind of silence that was tangible. You could cut the tension with a knife. Clementine knew she had gone too far, she looked remorseful, upset. But there was no taking back what she had said.<br>"Fine. I'll go." I said, my voice was low, dangerous. I left before she could say a word, her mouth hanging open, about to speak.  
>"Ellie, wai-" I slammed the door, stepping out into the biting cold and took off in the direction of the forest. The tears were streaming down my face, hot and cold all at once. The anger from our argument had faded slightly. I was left with a strange emptiness. I grabbed my bow from my back. I needed to hunt.<p>

It seemed like I had run miles before I had finally hit the trees, but I could still see the tip of the lighthouse poking out from behind a hill. The familiar smell of rotting leaves and earth engulfed me as I ran through the gradually thickening trees. Eventually, I reached a small clearing where a log lay rotting in the soil. I leaned against the thick trunk of the fallen tree, curled up on the floor and cried. I was doing that a lot more often that I used to. Especially before _she_ had left me. Or rather, I had left her. With Joel, it was easy to forget everything that happened to me, to us. Now, he was gone too. I'd lost him, running from some walkers, and hadn't seen him since. I was searching for him when I ran into Clem. At first, I thought it was her. But the closer I looked, the less the resemblance seemed. Clementine was right. She wasn't Riley, she never would be. But she was Clem, and I loved her for that, for herself. She was like the sister I never had, as corny as that sounds. _God, I'm turning into such a fucking sap._ The more time I spent with that kid, the more she rubbed off on me. There was still me in there too though, as I had so brilliantly proven this morning. I groaned, putting my head in my hands. I fucked up. I fucked up real bad this time. I was wallowing in shame and self-pity when a twig snapped jerked me back to reality. I stood, alert, bow ready.  
>"Show yourself." I said, quietly. No response. "Show yourself!" I said loudly, more confidently this time. Footsteps. Running. <em>Shit. Infected.<em> I pulled out my gun, sprinting as fast as I could towards the break in the trees. There were lots of footsteps. Screaming. Moaning. I was fucked. No walkers, runners or clickers had emerged yet, but they were coming. I prepared myself, Tensing my muscles, bracing for impact. I wasn't going down without a fight. The first runner emerged from behind a tree, I was quick to shoot him. Stupid move. Every walker, clicker, runner- God knows what else- heard that shot. And they were coming for me. I carried on firing, I shot every last one of them as they came out of the trees. I shot them all. Two clickers came at me from opposite directions, cornering me. I fired, but my gun was empty. I reached for the ammo in my pocket, fingers fumbling with the catch on my gun, even though I knew that it was too late. They were steps away from me when I had finally reloaded, I had no time to react. They lunged for me simultaneously. I dodged their outstretched hands, my gun lying useless on the forest floor, feet away from me. I tried to run, to escape somehow. I couldn't. there was no way out. I closed my eyes, accepting my fate, thinking of Riley, of how I would get to see her again, hold her again as I trembled in what would be my last moments. But the clawing hands never came. Instead, two gunshots rang out, loud and clear. I opened my eyes.  
>"Clementine?" I whispered, squinting in the sunlight.<br>"Clementine? It's been six months, you already have a new girlfriend?"

**A/N: Oh look, another cliffhanger. How lovely.**

**Was this too predictable? If you are confused, do not worry my friends, all will be explained in the next chapter. See you soon (probably unless I get busy sorry)**

**-Vulpixels ^_^**


	6. Chapter 6- Cassette

I was dead. I was dead or I was dreaming. I never thought I'd hear her voice again. I thought that the next time I would see her was the afterlife. Which was a possibility, considering the close encounter I'd just had.  
>"Riley?" I stuttered. I couldn't comprehend what I was seeing, <em>who <em>I was seeing.  
>"In the flesh." She replied, smiling at me. I couldn't imagine what I looked like, standing there staring at her, taking her all in. Her skin was still the same, rich, dark colour, like chocolate. Her features had changed slightly, they were more sharp, angular, but she was still the same girl I had left behind. She was wearing different clothes, but she still had the same backpack. Her hand was scarred, but healed. Just faint marks where a deadly bite had once been.<br>"I... I thought you were a goner. I thought you were dead. Again." I said. "I..." Words escaped me. I didn't know what I was feeling- a mixture of joy, relief love, anger, hurt, happiness, all of the emotions I'd felt and bottled up over the past six months. She looked anxious, biting her nails, just like I did. A habit I'd picked up from her.  
>"I can go. I can leave if you don't want me here. I just thought-" her words were cut off as I closed the space between us with a kiss. When we broke apart, she was smiling.<br>"Sorry." I said, sheepishly, looking at the ground.  
>"For what?" She asked, pulling me back in for another. I was breathless, flushed and grinning when we pulled apart again. "So, Clementine, huh? Won't she be mad at you for cheating?"<br>"Riley..." I said quietly. Her face fell as she took in my expression. "I never got to tell you. I'm sorry for leaving you there to turn. But I couldn't do it. I couldn't stay and watch you die." she took my face in her hands, lifting my chin up so our eyes would meet.  
>"By not shooting me that day, by leaving me, you saved my life."<br>"Wait, Riley. I'm not finished. I never got to tell you, but... I'm in love with you. I've felt all different kinds of love before, but none like this. None as strong as this. I am completely and utterly in love with you." Riley was silent. Blank faced.  
>"You know this is hard for me to say, Ellie, because I'm not a fucking dork like you-"<br>"It takes a dork to know a dork." interrupted Ellie. Riley frowned a little, but continued speaking.  
>"But I want you to know, I love you too. I don't know if it's possible for a human to love another human so much. It's like, every fibre of my being is drawn to you. And I know, this sounds corny as fuck, and I'm never gonna hear the end of it, but I love you too, Ellie. I love you more than anyone could ever love anyone. I knew it, right from the day we met. Right from the second I saved your ass from that kid taking your walkman. Which is why... Which is why I brought you this." She reached into her bag, and rummaged around for a second. Then she pulled out my walkman and handed to me. I hadn't smiled as widely as I did then since the night that we got separated. I pulled out the tape inside, it was the same one she'd given me for my birthday, but instead of the smudged writing on the label, were two words, surrounded by the tiny hearts she'd drawn on in red biro. 'For Ellie'.<br>"Imaginative name." I said, although I was smiling. She grinned back.  
>"I was gonna call it 'For Fuckface', but I thought it was too harshly accurate." She said, punching me lightly in the arm. "I missed you, kid."<br>"I'm only one year younger than you, I'm not a kid."

When we reached the lighthouse, the sun was high in the sky, beating down on us, but the wind was still a biting cold, numbing the tips of our fingers. I pushed open the door, grunting with the effort as I moved away the barricades and defences they had put behind the door. With a little help from Riley once we were inside, everything was back where it was. As I climbed the stairs, I was filled with a mounting feeling of dread, a nervousness that settled in my stomach. What if Clem was gone? When I reached the door at the top, it creaked as I slowly pushed it open. From there, I could see a cap on the ground, and A.J in his rocking chair. I pushed the door open further, only to find Clem behind the pillar in the centre, curled up in a ball, crying. She looked up when she heard me enter the room.  
>"Ellie? Is that you?" She asked timidly.<br>"It's me Clem. It's me. I am so, so sorry." I said sincerely. Clementine started crying again, and she hugged me tightly. Her sniffles abruptly stopped when she spotted Riley standing awkwardly behind me.  
>"Who-who is that?" she said, her voice still shaking.<br>"This is... this is Riley." Clementine's draw dropped.  
>"You said she was... dead."<br>"I thought she was. She's not. _Sh__e's not._" I said, smiling at Clementine.

**A/N: Double posting ****because I felt guilty. And because I really wanted to write this chapter. I ship them so hard it freakin hurts. Next chapter will be very, very fluffy and ****mainly just a short filler chapter with lots of dialogue. I hope you enjoyed!**  
><strong>Until next time!<strong>  
><strong>-Vulpixels ^_^<strong>


	7. Chapter 7- Cure

Soft snores came from the edge of the room, along with the occasional whimper from A.J as he dreamed. Clementine was sprawled on top of a blanket, arm resting protectively over his chest as it rise and fell in a deep slumber. I was lying nearby, trying but hopelessly failing to get to sleep. The dull beams of moonlight illuminated the room, casting shadows across the colourfully decorated walls. I rolled over. As much as I loved the lighthouse, the concrete flooring was something I could live without. Why couldn't it have been carpet? I grumbled to myself, trying to lie comfortably in a tangle of various jackets, cushions and more blankets. At least I wasn't cold. I heard a soft sigh from behind me as I turned over again.  
>"Riley?" I whispered, trying not to wake Clem. "Are you awake?"<br>"Yeah. You?" She whispered back. I shook my head in the darkness, even though she was unable to see my movements.  
>"Of course I am, dumbass." This remark got a playful shove in return, and a quiet grunt when I shoved back. I tried to hold in my laughter, snorting quietly into my hand until quiet settled over us again.<br>"Riley?" I asked, my tone suddenly serious.  
>"Yes?" She answered, a little tense sounding from the quick change in my mood.<br>"How are you still alive? I saw you. You were going to turn when I left." I didn't get a response. Instead, she grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet.  
>"This is a bit of a long story. We should get out of here for a while." She said quietly whilst pulling me through a maze of various boxes we had stored on the other half of the room. I closed the door behind me as I left the circular room, and we jogged down the spiralling stairs about halfway before she abruptly stopped and sat down, patting the step next to her. It was cold, hard and uncomfortable, but I was next to Riley. This made it at least bearable, even though I felt like I would never be warm again. It was far less sheltered in the stairway, but at least we didn't have to whisper.<br>"How did you survive?" I asked again. I couldn't see her face too well, but I could feel the air shift beside me as she moved around. Suddenly, I was blinded by a bright, blueish light that shone from a small torch in her hands. "I guess that it's better than nothing."  
>"Do you wanna hear how I made it or not?" She asked, impatiently.<br>"Okay," I said, getting as comfortable as possible, "Go ahead." She took a deep breath before starting to speak.

**Flashback- Riley's point of view**

_My vision was blurry, tainted red, but I could still make out the unmistakeable profile of my best friend. She was crying, shoulder's shaking and each sob resonating in my heart. It felt like we were linked. I felt pain when she did- just a different kind.  
>"Don't cry, Ellie..." I choked out, almost crying myself. I coughed, the sharp, metallic tang of blood filling my mouth. I could feel the warm droplets spill over my lips and onto my chin, but I made no attempt to wipe them. My muscles twitched as I tried to reach out to her, to comfort her in any way I could, but my body was bound by an intangible force, unable to move. I tried to reach out through words instead. All I could muster was a weak groan as waves of pain rolled over me again. My body convulsed as I shrieked in agony, fear, frustration. It was a prison, useless, a shell. I fought the infection as hard as I could, but my body was betraying me, giving up on me. I was being pulled under, deeper into the abyss of the unknown. Soon it would be over. Soon I would be home again, Mom, Dad- heck, even my dog. I willed it closer and closer, feeling a pang of guilt and grief in my heart for the one I was leaving behind. A dull pain pulled me out of the black hole I was slowly being sucked into, but when I opened my eyes, Ellie was gone. She was the one who had left me. I was relieved that she had finally listened to me, believed me that she still had a chance. And I would not be the one to take that second chance away from her. I felt the sharp, stinging pain again, deep in my arm. I twitched and screamed, fighting against the restraints that weren't really there. Hands grabbed my shoulder, my feet. I was lifted up, placed down. Time seemed to be passing slowly as I lived what would be my final moments as a human. I focused on the happiness in my life, which was mainly just Ellie. Reading, sleeping, talking, running, laughing. Whatever she did, it never failed to bring a smile to my face. Which is why I had come back. If only I hadn't been the one to wipe that smile off her face. Replace there dimples with lines of worry, her freckles with tear stains. Every time, I fucked it up. My last thought was of her, the feel of her lips on mine, her green eyes, so full of life. I could almost hear my heart stuttering, fighting a losing battle. I focused on the beats as I drifted into unconsciousness.<em>

"Awww, your last thought was of me?" I teased.

"Hey, no interruptions." Riley chastised me as she continued with her story.

_I was surprised when I opened my eyes again. My vision was clear, my head was pounding, my bite was bandaged. I was alive. Probably. I remember reading somewhere that when you die, you have seven minutes of brain activity left before you shut down forever. Was I still lying in a mall somewhere far away from here, dreaming about life when I was staring death in the face? I shuddered at the idea. A quiet knock on my door startled me out of my morbid thoughts, and no sooner than I had blinked, a pale face appeared in the doorway.  
><em>_"Hello. Are you feeling okay?" She asked, smiling a little. I nodded in reply, not having found my voice yet. She walked closer to my bed, perching on the edge of the lumpy mattress. "I guess you're wondering what is going on." I nodded again, curiosity taking over. She smiled at me, as if she could read what was going on in my head like an open book. Well, if she saved me from infection, it would come as no surprise to me that she could be capable of that too. "It's a little complicated, so I'll shorten it for you, give you the abridged version. Basically, the fireflies found a cure. We were searching for infected but not '_infected' _infected, if you follow. We found you, screaming in an abandoned mall. You hadn't turned yet, so we brought you back and tested the treatment on you. We figured you wouldn't mind. Anyway, out of 15 people, you're the only one to have survived the night. Congratulations. you must be so glad that you have superior genes." I was stunned, to say the least. All I could think about was leaving. Getting out of there. Finding Ellie. But when I pulled the bedcovers back, she placed a hand on my arm, gently pushing me back down. She frowned at me, patting my hand. "Bed rest." She said sternly. "Doctor's orders." So, naturally, I escaped through the window that night._

I_ shivered against the cold, the thin nightdress I was wearing blowing in the icy wind. I hadn't really thought it through well, leaving like an idiot, without normal clothes. I had had the initiative to pick up my pack before I left, but it was filled with mostly useless things with only sentimental value. While I was walking that night, I was overwhelmed by the thought that I had done it again. I'd let Ellie think I had died, while I was sitting here still alive and kicking. I hoped that she wouldn't hate me for doing it again. I hoped that I wouldn't do it again. I stumbled through the streets in the light of the moon, the only t__hing illuminating the shadows and corners. When I stumbled upon a small clothes store in the centre of some sort of town, I thought I'd struck gold. Browsing the empty aisles of the store, my thoughts drifted down a darker route. Ellie could be dead. Changed. I pushed the thought out of my mind. I spotted a plain, brownish tank top with a small pocket on the chest. I grabbed it. I rooted through the various piles of discarded clothing, finding a pair of blue jeans, still wearable, though a little ripped. Next, I focused on shoes. I was barefoot as I walked around the store, the sharp glass on the floor making small cuts on the soles. It took a while to find a pair sturdy enough to withstand the troubles of post-apocalyptic life, but I eventual I found a pair of brown, leather boots. I laced them up, enjoying the feeling of shoes on my feet again. Although my new clothes were okay, I'd give anything for my red jacket back. It didn't matter now. All that mattered was finding Ellie. I changed out of the god-forsaken dress, pulling on the new clothes. I shivered as the cold air blew across my skin. I felt exposed for a second, before quickly pulling my shirt over my head. After rooting around some more for a good jacket, I found a sturdy looking leather one. It wasn't dissimilar to the one I had previously owned, but it was a little roomy. At least it was red. No bites were getting through the tough leather though- at least not walker bites. I wasn't too sure about clickers though. I figured that after the door was barricaded, I'd be able to safely catch a few hours sleep before leaving to find Ellie. I slept there for a while, and left when the sun started to rise. For weeks I searched and searched, walked miles across fields, towns, even across the outskirts of some cities. I'd been searching for 3 weeks when I finally managed to track Ellie to a gas station, but I only found a dead clicker and some broken glass when I went in. At least she were still alive. I lost her after that. No sign of her anywhere. I spent the next month trying to find her again, running through towns and forests like a dog following a scent. I was looking for firewood, that's when I heard gunshots, and I ran towards them._

_"_And there you were, cowering in a corner, about to get bitten." She said to me. I remembered the experience vividly, shuddering a little. Although I'd made fun of her for thinking of me in her last minutes, I was guilty of the same. She was all I could think of, in the face of death. But I would never tell her that. Her ego was already the size of Boston.  
>"I was not going to get bitten!" I protested, even though I knew it was a lie. I was totally going to get bitten, had she not saved me.<br>"Were too."  
>"Whatever." I muttered, scowling. She poked my cheeks, pulling my lips upwards into a strange, forced grin.<br>"Riley!" I shouted as loudly as I could in the dead of night, Pulling her hands off of my face. Sound travels in the lighthouse. She grinned at me, and soon I was laughing too as we wrestled in the stairway, trying to squish each other's faces.  
>"Ow." I complained as she pinned me down, my back hitting the stairs. Her hair hung over her shoulder, falling out of it's usual tight bun. It almost reached my face, darks strands tickling my nose as I looked into her eyes. We stayed like that for a moment, just staring, until Riley started laughing as she rolled off me, letting me sit up straight again. "I'm gonna have a bruise there, fuckwad." I said, scowling again, but I couldn't keep it up for long. I joined her laughter, enjoying the happiness that filled me, even if only for a moment. That was what Riley did to me- made me laugh even when the rest of humanity was going to shit. When we had calmed down, we went back to talking. Puns, jokes, the meaning of life- we talked for hours about the grass, the sky and everything in-between. It wasn't until our conversation turned down a darker route, down the road that we had avoided until it was inevitable, that our laughter had finally ceased.<br>"Why didn't you shoot me?" Riley asked, tucking her hair behind her ears as she spoke.  
>"I couldn't do it. I tried, but you were still conscious, aware of who I was, what I was doing. You told me to, encouraged it, even. I left when you blacked out. I thought that was it. I'm... I'm not proud that I left you to suffer. But... I'm glad I did."<br>"Me too, Kid. I don't blame you. If it were switched, if you were me and I was you, I wouldn't do it either. Sure, I killed my dad when he turned, but you- you're different. I don't know why. All I know is that I am so glad I'm alive- But I'm more glad that you're alive. Even if we could switch, I wouldn't." We sat in companionable silence after that. Riley eventually fell asleep, head resting on my shoulder. When the sun rose, I gently shook her awake as an orange glow lit the hallway from the small, dirty windows along the stairway. Riley groaned, burrowing further into my neck. I could feel her slow, even breathing on my skin. It tickled a little. I wriggled out from underneath her, shaking her as I yawned myself. She jolted awake as she fell, the support of my shoulder gone, catching herself before her head hit the ground. She frowned, looking up at me through the hair escaping her bun.  
>"Morning sunshine!" I sang, smiling.<br>"Fuck off." She said, grumpily. We climbed back up the stairs, playfully pushing each other until we reached the top. It was 'the butt-crack of dawn' as Riley called it, and Clem was probably still asleep, along with A.J. When I pushed the door aside and crept back inside, she was still sprawled across the blanket. I smiled fondly at her, Riley crouching down and sitting against the wall. I sat beside her, close to both Clementine and A.J in case he started crying. I fell asleep with my head in Riley's lap, having stayed awake for the whole night. She pulled my hair out of it's usual ponytail, running her fingers though it.  
>"Do you even own a hairbrush?" she asked, smiling affectionately as she pulled the knots out.<br>"No." I murmured, drifting off to sleep.

**A/N: Yo. Just a fluffy chapter explaining how Riley survived. In case you were wondering, the cure only worked on Riley because the other people were too far gone, turned already. Riley wasn't. Also, I promise there will be more Clem in the next chapter! I've missed writing her. If there's any typos, I have read it through once, but might have missed one. Sorry. Don't have a beta/the time to do it myself. Anyway, sorry this is a day overdue, but it took longer to write than usual, even though I loved writing this chapter. Would you like to hear more from Riley's perspective? Clem's? Let me know! Also, if you have any questions, message me or leave a review- I'll respond ASAP.**  
><strong>Until next time!<strong>  
><strong>-Vulpixels<strong>


	8. Chapter 8- Family Portrait

**A/N: Hi. I'm here at the start to let you know that this is from Clem's P.O.V. A couple of you asked me (both on tumblr and via reviews) what her thoughts were on Riley, and I'm not sure what she thinks yet. I have no plan for this chapter- I'm just gonna go with the flow. So, without further ado (before you correct me, I checked, it's ado not adieu) I present to you chapter 8, which don't have a name, as of yet.**

When I woke up, Ellie and the girl had gone. I panicked for a moment. Ellie hadn't... left me, had she? It would make sense to leave, having found her best friend that she thought was dead. I relaxed a little when I saw both of their backpacks leaning against the wall, but I couldn't get the doubt and worry out of my mind, spreading through my every thought like a weed, until sleep seemed impossible. It was dark in the round room, but I could just make out A.J's perfect little features, his tiny hands and toes, reaching and touching something in a dream I hoped was better than the world we were living in. I watched him until I grew tired again, his tightly curled baby hair sticking up from all of the wriggling he was doing. In a world where everything was corrupted, it was a wonder to find a thing so good, pure and sweet. He was my little miracle. Our little miracle. Even Riley's, now. The more protection he could get, the better. I still didn't fully trust Riley. She seemed tough, but sarcastic and grouchy at the same time. I'd only ever seen her smile once, when Ellie made a joke. I was supposed to be asleep, really, but I could hear their muffled giggling from across the room. I lay still, pretending to be snoring as I tried not to listen. I felt bad, eavesdropping on their conversation- as though I was intruding a little. At least until I fell asleep. But as I lay alone in the dark upon waking, I had a feeling that Riley was more important to Ellie than she'd told me. They were almost more than best friends, the bond they shared was so strong. They acted like they were linked, not even consciously. I'll admit, at first, I was a little jealous of the relationship that they had. I can only hope that one day I'll find a friend whom I can completely trust, rely on entirely. Until then, I had A.J, and that was enough for me. Of course, I loved Ellie, and adding another person to the group seemed strange to me, but I can understand. What was that old saying? Two's company, three's a crowd. Well, it's kind of irrelevant if you count A.J, but the message is the same. I tried to push away those feelings of jealousy, to see Riley with fresh eyes. Honestly, she was hard to like- but I wasn't going to give up. If Ellie was happy, I could tolerate her, at least. As the hours ticked by, I fought sleep, my eyelids grown heavier with every passing second. I was determined to be awake when they returned. When I saw the sun burst through the clouds, lighting the greyish blue sky with hues of gold and orange, I started doing things to pass the time, now I was able to see again. I started drawing with my chalk again, adding to the colourful pictures I had sketched on the wall. When I came to the one of us all together, our little family, my hand hovered, almost smudging the chalk. I pulled out a black piece of chalk and started to draw. I worked hard, perfecting every detail as best as I could. I fell back asleep after that, chalk still clutched in my hand. On the wall behind me, I had added a black cat, wearing a red leather jacket. 'Riley', I had written underneath in red. I wasn't awake when they returned, but I hoped that she'd notice.

**Riley's P.O.V:**

It was early morning, and I was the only one still awake. The little girl slept in the corner, smiling in her sleep. I hoped she was having a good dream. I felt guilty, I'd been such an asshole to her when we'd met. She was sweet, I was just afraid that she'd taken Ellie from me. Anyway, 'time heals all wounds' or something similar to the bullshit that Marlene told me once. It didn't. It had been 3 years, and every time I looked back on my father, I was struck with grief so strong that it almost physically hurt me. But Ellie was usually around when that happened, and she'd somehow make me smile. The last few months without her had been hard, harder than I expected. I'd not realised how heavily I relied on her until she wasn't there anymore. The pain in my chest was eased though, when I looked down at her, lying across my legs. I carefully removed myself from the tangle of limbs we were, trying not to wake her, but she just grunted a little and rolled over. I stretched out my aching muscles, straightening the cracks that leaning against the wall for so long had left in my back. Yawning, I started to look around the room for the first time. When I'd first come up here, I'd been so absorbed by Ellie, by seeing her again to care much about where I was standing- but now, as the light of the early morning cast an orange glow over the walls, I realised how much I already loved this place. The walls were covered with swirls and patterns of colour, the drawings beautiful. My favourite was a simple sketch of Ellie laughing. It was fairly accurate- the girl, Clementine, was pretty good. I took in all of the pictures she'd drawn, losing myself for one second in the magic of it all. I'd only ever seen two films in my life. The first, a film about a girl who was pregnant. Her parents were mad, and I didn't really get it that much. It was... Alright. The only reason I picked it up was because the actress on the front cover looked like Ellie. But the second, it was a film about a nanny. Sounds boring, I know. But, I was captivated from the moment they started singing their cheerful songs. I'd found myself humming them from days after. I told everyone that it was terrible, a waste of time, but I secretly kept it hidden in my pack. Mary Poppins. I remember when she stepped into the chalk drawings, and I wished I could pop into one of these drawings now. I even tried the rhyme, just to cheer myself up. I couldn't remember it exactly, but it involved nose twitching and some blinking. Unfortunately, it was no surprise when I realised I was still standing in the lighthouse. I was still humming a cheerful dong about sugar when another drawing caught my eye. It was surrounded by a golden frame, like the family portraits I had seen in some houses. Inside, there was a little bear wearing a cap, a white rabbit and a frog. I realised that it was them, a pang of something bittersweet when I saw that it was their little family, their names scrawled underneath. It made me feel like an intruder, and I was about to turn away when something caught my eye. Next to Ellie's frog, there was a black cat. Wearing my jacket. My heart swelled as I thought of this little girl, adding me onto their family portrait, accepting me so readily. I decided right then, right there that I was going to make an effort _not_ to be an asshole for once. Because I thought I'd found my home. It would be a shame to get kicked out so soon.

**A/N: Hi again. If you were wondering, the other film was Juno because Ellen Page looks a lot like Ellie. I heard she was pretty pissed about it too. I was going to use Whip It instead, but I figured less people would know that film. Hope you enjoyed this short little chapter. In the next one, it will be back to Ellie again. Probably going to wrap this fic up soon as well, so expect a surge of new chapters. I have a ton of ideas for other fics (mainly Ellie/Riley) so stick around!**  
><strong>Until next time!<strong>  
><strong>-Vulpixels ^_^<strong>


	9. Chapter 9- Found

**A/N: Hi! I'm here at the start (once again) to say thank you to a person who left a really sweet review on the last chapter. It made me inwardly squeal with happiness and made my heart squish up with that feeling you get when you see a puppy. So thank you. (I totally would've done this via messages but you were a guest user so I couldn't.) Anyway, I did say that this would be ending soon- probably- but I'm not too sure when. It could be 3 chapters away, or 7. I don't know. I really want to get this wrapped up soon though, so chapters might be a little further apart but longer. Don't worry though, I am gonna start writing a new fic that readers of this story will like, and I'll let you guys know when it comes out. Or you could follow me. Just saying. *insert shameless self-promotion here*. Moving on, I present to you, the way-overdue-but-still-of-an-acceptable-standard, chapter nine!**

We were sharing the last bag of potato chips, sitting on overturned boxes in the lighthouse when Riley froze, a chip still in her hand, almost at her mouth.  
>"Get down." She hissed, pulling us off of the boxes and onto the floor. I grunted as I landed on the concrete, the air whooshing out of my lungs.<br>"What is it, Riley?" Clementine asked, fear filling her eyes, "Walkers?" Riley looked at the ground, and when she looked up, her expression was hard, her eyes cold.  
>"Worse. Humans." Her voice was quiet, barely audible. I lay curled up on the ground, trying to catch my breath as I processed what she had just said. No doubt they were looking for shelter too, and they would get it, judging from the large gun I saw in the man's hands before I was pulled away from the window- whatever the cost.<br>"Do you think they saw us?" Clementine whispered, even though there was no possibility of them hearing us from so far away.  
>"I'm not sure. We'll find out, I guess." Riley answered, hand resting on her gun, ready to fire at any time. Clementine rushed over to A.J, picking him up while stooping low to remain unseen through the windows. I heard the boards and chairs begin to scrape and crack downstairs as they pushed at the barricades we had put up.<br>"Shit." I whispered, reaching for my axe. I dropped it, picking up my gun instead. Not much use for an axe here. There were three clicks as we took the safety off. I reloaded, ready for attack. Rising from my spot on the ground, I stood next to the door, my gun pointed to the ceiling as I held it close to my body. I would ambush them as soon as they entered, even though I knew that they'd be wary already, having encountered barricades at the door. Still, I stood, muscles tensed, braced for impact as the boards gave one last shriek, splitting apart, sending the door flying open. I heard their footsteps as they climbed the spiralling stairs. I gave one last glance at Riley, who was crouching behind the bulb in the centre with Clem by her side. She stared back at me, as if to say '_We got this.'. _I still worried, despite her confidence, but I had no time to process these emotions as their footsteps grew nearer. In a matter of seconds, they would be here. In a matter of seconds, I would either be alive or dead. This was my last thought before the door flew open. They stepped inside the room, and I was there, gun raised, pointed at their heads. A man and a woman. Around forty, both tall with dark hair. The man had a beard streaked with grey, and I was hit with the sharp pain of loss as I was reminded of Joel. Nevertheless, I stayed still, focused, my gun aimed at his head. The woman looked at me with slight fear, raising her gun to point at me, too.  
>"I wouldn't do that, if I were you." Riley spoke. emerging from her hiding place, gun pointed at the woman. Clementine stepped out from the shadows as well, her infers on the trigger. "Drop your weapons." They obliged, putting down their bats, clubs and various guns.<br>"What do you want?" I asked, my gun still pointed at their heads.  
>"We're here per request. Some members of our group have been looking for you. We were sent to find you." The man spoke, his voice deep and scratchy.<br>"We mean you no harm." The woman added, hands up in a gesture of surrender. The man nodded in agreement, taking a step towards them.  
>"Don't you fucking move." I said angrily, raising the gun higher. He took a step backwards, but he looked anxious, unsure of what we were going to do next. His eyes widened as they landed upon A.J, and he gave is partner a look, but his expression was unreadable to Ellie or Clem. Riley watched, her yes narrowing at the silent exchange, but she didn't move.<br>"You have a baby?" Asked the woman, a hint of surprise leaking through her tone, even though she tried to repress it. None of us spoke in reply. We stood in silence, tense and ready for them to attack us at any moment.  
>"Kids, we just want to know-"<br>"We're not kids, old man." Riley practically snarled, her fingers squeezing the trigger lightly, but not enough to set it off.  
>"We just want to know if you've met Joel. He didn't mention a baby. You might not be the ones we're looking for." I stopped listening after Joel, the words replaying in my mind. <em>He was still alive? <em>I knew it was stupid, I knew that there was probably hundreds of men called Joel in the world, but I couldn't help but hope that maybe he was alive. I couldn't help but hope that he was looking for me like I'd been looking for him.  
>"Joel?" I asked, my voice more quiet and uncertain than I'd originally intended.<br>"You know him?"  
>"I- maybe. I'm not sure." I stuttered. Riley stared at me in shock, and I could almost hear her frustrated words in my head. <em>What the hell are you doing, Ellie? <em>She shouted inside of my mind. I ignored her protests as I spoke to the odd pair.  
>"Are you Ellie?" He asked, staring at me like he was trying to decipher some sort of code.<br>"Yes." I replied, staring into his eyes. I ignored Riley as she grew frantic, her eyes widening. I could see her in my peripheral vision, watching me with a mixture of anger, fear and confusion in her eyes. She did not move from her position, her gun aimed at their heads, regardless of how she was feeling inside.  
>"I'm going to ask you one thing, Ellie. Please do as I say. Stay here, wait for us to return, please. It's important." His voice was pained, although it remained gruff as he spoke. "I'm going to leave now. Whatever happens next is up to you. But consider it, for Joel."<br>"You'd better not try anything, old man." Riley growled, her voice low and dangerous.  
>"We won't. I promise." I scoffed. A promise didn't mean much these days. Sometimes, you had no control over fate, and sometimes, promises just didn't stay promises. Riley and I knew that <em>all<em> too well. They backed out of the doorway, collecting their packs and weapons. I heard the door bang shut as they reached the bottom of the stairs, and no sooner than they had left, Riley was shouting.  
>"The <em>fuck<em> was that Ellie? You'd better fucking explain, because you just risked all of our lives." I was speechless as I tried to find where to start, how to explain everything that had happened to me while she was gone. It was rare that she was ever this angry, especially at me. The last time she'd shouted at me, it was the night before she left to join the fireflies.  
>"I- I'll try, I guess." I took a breath and began my story.<p>

"I met Joel when you... turned. He and another woman, Tess, were supposed to escort me, like I was some sort of cargo. We got into a lot of shit, and Tess, she... she died. But Joel didn't. He hated me at first. Blamed me for everything, I guess. I figured it was because he'd never had to deal with a teenager before, but I found out later that-" I stopped my story, cutting my words short before they could come spilling out of my mouth. I knew that Joel, alive or dead, would not want me to talk about Sarah to some strangers whom he'd never met. "Doesn't matter. Anyway, he was supposed to escort me, but the fireflies weren't there when we arrived. We travelled together, and I guess I liked the old guy more than I'll ever tell him. He... saved me, in a way. I'm not sure, though. We've never really talked about the night he took me from the fireflies again. Anyway, Joel, he's a good guy. If he trusts there guys, if they are who they say they are, then I'm okay with them." Riley frowned, but she wasn't as angry as she was before.  
>"That still doesn't explain-"<br>"I know, Riley. I'm asking you to trust me here." I interrupted. She looked conflicted as she thought on it for a few moments, before sighing and looking up from the ground.  
>"Okay." She said, quietly. Without thinking, I closed the space between us with a kiss. It was short but sweet, and she was left smiling a little. It wasn't until I heard the quiet cough in the corner that I broke Riley's gaze and turned to face Clementine.<br>"So... You two are... a thing?" She asked awkwardly staring at the ground. I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks, but I tried to shrug it off, nonetheless. I was about to speak, explain that I didn't really know myself until Riley cut me off.  
>"Yeah. I think we are." She said, looking at me to see my reaction. She was smiling, but I could see her nervousness behind the façade. I smiled back, and her grin became genuine. Clementine was still pink in the cheeks as she turned her back to us, looking at the chalk drawings on the wall. The yellow frame she had drawn around us was smudged, but still, it did its job. I watched her as she picked up a piece of red chalk and started to draw. It only took a few seconds before I realised what she had scribbled on our portrait. I looked at the ground when I caught sight of the little red heart between me and riley. Clem smiled at me.<br>"I totally knew it. It was so obvious." She said, smirking. Before I had the chance to retaliate, there was a sharp knocking at the door several metres below.  
>"They're back." I said to nobody in particular as I pushed open the door and thundered down the hundreds of stairs leading to the entrance. When I reached the bottom, I was breathing heavily, the footsteps of Riley and Clementine close behind.<br>"Joel?" I shouted as I stepped out into the cold. The wind whipped my ponytail and blew my hair in different directions, but through the loose strands I could see a familiar face staring down at me. His eyes searched mine, and then he pulled me into a hug. It was unexpected, he'd never really been the hugging type, but I held on tight anyway.  
>"Oh, baby girl." He muttered as he hugged me. "Where have you been? I was so worried about you." I pulled my jacket tighter to me as it fluttered in the wind, leaving me slightly less cold than I was before.<br>"Where have _you_ been, Joel? I searched for you for months. I couldn't find you anywhere." I replied, too happy to be annoyed at my pointless searching.  
>"I couldn't find you, either. I was so worried, looking for you, I never thought that you'd be doing the same."<br>"How did you find me?" I asked, curiosity taking over.  
>"It's a bit of a long story. Mind if I come inside?" He asked, gesturing towards the lighthouse. I nodded in reply, turning away from him and beginning to climb back up the stairs. Riley followed suit, Clem in tow, both still slightly in awe at the situation. When we had reached the top, I was warm enough from the climb that the slight chill didn't bother me. Joel looked around, amazed by what three little girls could make from nothing. Well, I say little. I've learnt enough to know that anyone our age should never have to do or see the things we've seen. It's different now, no more holidays or video games or just enjoying life. Now, it isn't about living. It's about surviving. It's about gritting your teeth and pulling yourself through all of the shit going on around you. I would say I miss it- being able to do whatever you want, whenever you want. But I don't. You can't miss what you never had. That's the only thing I envy about their lives, before <em>this<em>. They didn't have to worry. Everything that once was a problem, everything that you would've had sleepless nights over, it was nothing. Easy. Maybe it was a blessing, being born into a time when the worst thing that could happen was a broken bone. Maybe it was a curse. Maybe I'm the lucky one. I've never known anything but this. This _hell_ that I'm living. But surely it would've been so much worse if you'd had a taste of heaven first.  
>"Ellie?" Riley asked me, gently shaking my shoulder. I looked up from the spot I was staring at on the wall, pulled from my slightly morbid thoughts by her voice.<br>"Mmmmm?" I replied, not paying full attention.  
>"I said do you want some water? It's the last bottle." I nodded, holding out my hand for the plastic bottle as I got comfy on the overturned boxes again.<br>"Quite a hideout you've got yourselves here, huh?" Said Joel as he crouched down, gingerly sitting on a box. It was only then that I noticed his leg, blood soaking through his jeans and the bandage wrapped around it. I didn't ask any questions, although I shuddered as I thought of the long staircase outside of the door.  
>"Yeah. We found it a while ago. It was autumn then. It's spring now, I guess."<br>"I-" His speech cut off as A.J started to cry from his seat. "Is that a baby?" He asked, turning his head towards the sound.  
>"Yeah. His name's A.J. Wanna meet him?" Joel looked alarmed for a moment, trying to fit nine months into the six they'd been apart. When he realised that he wouldn't have to deal with the aftermath of a teen pregnancy, he looked little less nervous, but worry still lingered in the deep lines on his face. Clementine looked a little nervous as she handed A.J to Joel, but he didn't mind, wrapped up in his blue blanket. Joel looked up at Clementine, confused, then to Riley. I figured that I should probably explain, before he jumped to any strange conclusions about either of my friends.<br>"This is Clementine. She's A.J's adoptive sister." I said, nodding towards her. She smiled awkwardly, but held his gaze anyway. "And this is Riley. My... best friend." I said, nodding towards her. The look of confusion didn't disappear from his face as he stared at Riley.  
>"I thought she was..." He trailed off, his eyes dropping to the floor. "I thought she was bit."<br>"She was. But not anymore." I replied. I was terrible at explaining things, I realised as he sat in bewilderment trying to comprehend the fractured explanation I was giving him.  
>"She was cured. It was just luck, really. Everyone else that was cured died or turned." Joel was surprised, but he did a good job of hiding it as he looked down at the sleeping baby in his arms.<br>"Well, that is lucky." He said, chuckling a bit as he bounced the baby, making him giggle. A.J was becoming a little more vocal now- I'd definitely have to cut the swearing, at least as soon as he could say words (even though Clem insisted that he understands every word that we say). I think he'll probably grow up swearing more than me, but for Clem's sake, I hope he at least learns not to use them around her. She'd be so pissed at me if his first word was fuck. That was another thing I wasn't missing from life before- being able to cuss whenever I wanted. I'm sure that if I was born before, my mom would have- I stopped the train of thought before it could go any further, focusing on Joel instead.  
>"Who drew these?" Joel asked. Clementine spoke up, still quiet but a hint of pride in her voice.<br>"I did." She said from her position against the wall.  
>"They're pretty damn good, if you ask me. That a family portrait?" I asked, eyes darting towards the picture of us together. I shuffled sideways, trying to cover the tiny red heart. Joel didn't need to know about me and Riley, at least not yet.<br>"It's a work in progress," I said, scooting across the wall while trying to avoid his gaze, "It's not done." Riley eyed me suspiciously, but she didn't say anything. At least she understood, even if she _was_ pissed off about it. I could tell from the look on her face that she planned to talk about this later.  
>"It looks good, Clementine." Joel said sincerely.<br>"Are you gonna tell us how you found me or what?" I asked impatiently, crossing my arms.  
>"Okay, okay. It's a... long story. You'd better sit down."<br>"I'm fine standing." I said, conscious of the picture behind my body. I doubt he'd notice, but I'd rather not take the risk. That would be one awkward conversation, which I had decided to save for another, slightly less awkward meeting. With less people. And definitely no Riley.  
>"Well, okay then," he said gruffly, "Here goes."<p>

"After we got separated, I went back to Tommy's. Figured you might be there. Well, you weren't, and that's when I started to worry. I looked everywhere for you, thinking I had no chance of finding you. But when I came back to camp one night, Tommy said that some of the community had spotted some people that looked like you while they were looking for supplies. It was pretty far away, so I gathered a few people and a couple of horses, and we made our way over here. Found a base, holed up there for a few days. Jess, the woman outside, she tracked you here. Rob followed her, to make sure she was safe. Well, it took few months, but I'm glad I finally got to see you again. I- I missed you, baby girl." He ended, smiling a little through his beard.  
>"It wasn't that long of a story, Joel." I said, smiling back.<br>"I know. Truth is, I just wanted to see what it was like up here." Riley snorted.  
>"Wanna hear some puns? Riley brought another pun book." I said, reaching into my pocket and pulling out a book with a faded cover. It had a cartoon of a cat on the front, with the caption 'More Puns? You've gotta be kitten me.' Joel groaned when he saw the familiar yellow writing.<br>"Really, Ellie?" he asked. I didn't reply. Instead, I picked a random page and chose my one.  
>"A man walked into a bar. It hurt." I looked up at Riley, who looked as confused as I did. "I don't get it." I said. Riley shook her head in equal confusion. Joel, however, was chuckling as he tried to explain the joke. After several failed attempts, he gave up, laughing to himself as I read the next one.<br>"Police were called to day-care, where a three year old was resisting a rest."

**A/N: So sorry for the delay! I've been writing this chapter for a few days now, and it's shorter than I originally intended due to my mac deleting everything, but I think that this chapter is still long enough that it's not entirely pointless. I hope you enjoyed. Only a few parts left to go, because I really wanna start my new fic soon. I'll admit, I'm a little sad to see this one go, but I might write a ****sequel eventually. That is a _might_, not a _will._ I guess it depends on the reviews and stuff. Another thing- this doesn't make any sense geographically. I know. Try to overlook that. I have absolutely no idea about geography in America. So sorry. Anyway, until next time!  
><strong>**-Vulpixels ^_^**


	10. Chapter 10- Home is Where the Heart is

**A/N: Hey guys! Welcome back to the final chapter of this story! I am excited to finish this, I've had so many ideas rattling around inside my head and nowhere to write them. My little orange notebook is overflowing already. I hope you like the conclusion to this story, I'll try to make it more satisfying than either TLOU or TWD endings, but I have only a vague idea of where this is gonna go, so for the final time (it's sad I know) the very last chapter of I'm Not a Kid. **

Joel didn't relax until the pun book was safely inside my pocket. It was like they were his only weakness, bad attempts at humour. I personally find them hilarious, but that's where we differ, Joel and I. He is determined to be serious- anything that comes close to jeopardising that is not to be touched. I tucked the small book away, still smiling at the last joke as I leaned back on the wall behind me.  
>"Will you come back to Tommy's with me?" Joel said suddenly. Riley, Clem and I all looked at each other, trying to read each other's expression. I'm sure we all looked the same, a mixture of uncertainty, excitement, sorrow, other emotions that I was trying to process as Joel let the question hang in the air. I looked at the ground. Joel, he was the only one who hadn't either died or left me- well, except for Riley. But was I ready to leave this little home, our very own safe haven that we had built? Would it be better for A.J to go, or stay here? What about Clem? Riley, I knew she would go wherever I went, and I would, in turn, follow her too. But would she be okay with this? If we went, I'd have to tell Joel about us. Which I was more than scared about. He saw me almost like a daughter, and I loved that, but what would it mean for Riley and I? Not to mention the fact that our relationship wasn't exactly <em>normal.<em> Sure, it was the apocalypse, but the infected hadn't eradicated another poisonous disease that plagued humanity. Prejudice. How would he react, having been brought up in a time that I'd heard stories about. People like me, like us, were victims of hate, anger, violence, everything. Although most people were okay with it, there was the occasional asshole that wasn't. And I couldn't bear it if Joel turned out to be one of those assholes. I looked back up from my ratty converse and into his eyes, full of concern.  
>"Can we have a minute?" I asked quietly, as gently as possible.<br>"Sure." He rose, wincing a little as he hobbled to the door. "I'll be at the bottom of the stairs." I heard his uneven footsteps as he limped down the stairs. I closed the door behind him and turned to face Riley and Clem, who was holding A.J in her arms. It was Riley who spoke first.  
>"Ellie, I know this is important to you, but... what about us?" I searched for the right words, but upon finding none, I just looked back at her.<br>"I don't know." Riley looked to the cracked concrete floor.  
>"You don't know?" She asked, a hint of hurt seeping through her unusually steady tone.<br>"Riley, I-"  
>"You don't know, Ellie?" She said, looking into my eyes with a fierce intensity that made me want to look away. "I climbed out of a window, walked at least a hundred miles, fought off dozens of infected and crossed two states to find you again, and you're telling me that <em>you don't know?<em>" I looked away, the muscles in my jaw jumping. She was right. I knew it. But I was still pissed off.  
>"Riley, what am I supposed to do? What do you want from me?"<br>"You don't get to be pissed off at me, Ellie. I'm pissed off at _you!" _She shouted, glaring at me. "Here. I was saving this for later, but you can have it now." She pulled out a polaroid camera from her coat pocket and handed it to me. "I nearly got killed for this." I looked from the camera to her face, then back to the grubby pink camera in her hands. I reached out and took it carefully, slipping it into my pocket. Then I looked back to her face. She looked... vulnerable, afraid, _broken._ She didn't look like the Riley I knew. That was when I realised- she wasn't the Riley I knew. And I wasn't the same girl I was in that mall. I couldn't stop the tears this time. They rolled down my cheeks, dripping off my chin and onto the floor.  
>"I'm sorry." was all I could say to her. I watched as her expression softened, and when she took my hand in hers, I felt a wave of relief. Clementine stood on the other side of the room, rocking A.J and trying to busy herself as much as she could.<br>"Clementine?" I asked, sniffing and wiping my eyes with the back of my hand.  
>"Yeah?" She replied, looking up nonchalantly, as if she hadn't just heard that entire exchange- which I was grateful for.<br>"What do you want to do?" I asked nervously.  
>"I think... I think that maybe it's time to leave this place. Find a more permanent home. We've left our mark here. Maybe we'll come back. But I think we should go with Joel." she said as though she had put a lot of thought into it.I felt a mixture of emotions, but I agreed with her. I looked expectantly at Riley, who thought for a moment before nodding slowly. I grinned at her, pulling her in for a hug.<br>"Come on, Clem." I said, waving her over. She smiled, hugging us with one arm while holding A.J to her chest with the other. We stayed like that for a while, before A.J burped, sending us all into fits of giggles- even Riley, who was difficult to amuse at the best of times- that is, of course, unless it was pun-related humour. I stuck my head out of the door, opening it a crack.  
>"Joel?" I shouted, my voice echoing as it bounced off off the concrete walls of the stairway. I heard a grunt from the bottom in reply as he got up from where he was sitting on the steps. By the time he had reached the top, Riley, Clem and I had already started to pack our things up, stuffing as much as we could into out packs, pockets, everywhere. When he saw us packing up our belongings, he didn't say anything, but the corners of his mouth tugged up in a way that meant he understood. Clem even let him hold A.J for a little while, but I think it was so that nobody would notice she was really wiping her eyes. I didn't blame her for crying, though- I managed to keep the tears in. There was no way I was breaking down front of Riley <em>and <em>Joel.

Soon enough we were back on the horses, trotting back to camp as the sun set behind us. I started to wonder if we really had made the right decision, but the doubts were chased away when Joel started telling me about Tommy and Maria's baby, Eleanor Sarah. Joel had suggested the name, he said, and she was apparently adorable. That made me happy. Our little A.J would have another kid his age to play with. We talked until I fell asleep, somehow, and I awoke sore and stiff from sleeping on our horse, but elated that we had finally arrived.  
>"Joel!" The gates were pushed open as Tommy welcomed us with open arms. I just grinned back at Riley and Clem before dismounting and walking through the gates into safety. Finally, after a year of searching, we had found a place that we could truly call home.<p>

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed that little adventure! I might come back to this story one day, write you guys a little epilogue of how things are going at the camp. This chapter was a pretty short, but it's been sitting in my documents for about two months, unfinished, so I thought I'd just wrap it up now. I love you guys, thanks for sticking with this story (my first _fully complete_ story, might I add) and I hope you'll join me on many more the storytelling adventure. It is with a heavy heart that I say this for the final time- at least on this story.**

**Until next time!**

**-Vulpixels ^_^**


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